Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Tuesday highlighted the strengths of Türkiye's win-win policy in its relationships with African countries while speaking at an international forum in the Senegalese capital Dakar.
In a statement on Twitter, Çavuşoğlu said "We attended the 8th Dakar International Forum titled 'Crises and African Sovereignty.' We discussed the global challenges affecting our world and the effects of the war in Ukraine on Africa. We gave information about Türkiye's win-win African Partnership."
On the forum's sidelines, Çavuşoğlu also met with his Senegalese counterpart Aissata Tall Sall.
In addition, Çavuşoğlu and his counterpart signed a memorandum of understanding on the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), held annually in Türkiye, and the Dakar International Forum.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Çavuşoğlu stated that he was pleased to be in the country to attend the forum and said, "I congratulate them for organizing such a successful event. We are also happy that the organization was held at the conference center built by a Turkish company."
Noting that the memorandum of understanding signed between the ADF and the Dakar Forum added to the already excellent bilateral relations and cooperation, Çavuşoğlu said, "We all know that the world is going through a very interesting and challenging process. Therefore, for a fairer world, especially for Africa, and for peace and stability, we need new visions and new policies for this."
Speaking at the ceremony, Senegalese Foreign Minister Tall Sall highlighted the importance of the agreement and said, "This memorandum of understanding, which is very important for us, also shows the importance we attach to diplomacy. Diplomacy is a state job first and foremost."
Tall Sall stressed that the memorandum is important as it allows the two forums to work together, adding that Dakar will use the way the ADF works as an example and try to find solutions to problems that concern the international community, especially Senegal.
He pointed out that Türkiye shows the importance it attaches to diplomacy by supporting the ADF while Senegal does the same by supporting the Dakar Forum, adding that the two forums have brought together many high-level figures from various segments of the international community.
Separately, Çavuşoğlu also met with Sudan's acting Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sadiq Ali, and discussed "the transition process in Sudan, our bilateral relations and regional developments."
Senegal was the first stop on Çavusoglu's three-day African tour, to be followed on Wednesday and Thursday by Ghana and Benin.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Turkish top diplomat arrived in Ghana, for his second stop.
"We continue our contacts in West Africa in Ghana, one of our most important partners in the region," Çavuşoğlu said on Twitter about his Ghana visit.
Türkiye-Africa relations grew in strength with the country's "Africa strategy," initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2003. To this effect, the number of Turkish embassies in Africa has increased from just 12 in 2002 to 43 in 2021. Türkiye became an "observer member" of the African Union in 2005, and the union declared Türkiye a "strategic partner" in 2008.
